There will always be some edge cases or extremely specific scenarios where a small iPad is better than the "default" iPad... but, at this point, I feel that all the different iPad models are complicating things for a lot of consumers. Sure, we nerds who are familiar with tech can tell which model is the best one for us and why, but that's not most people.

To be honest, I'd like to see the Mini sticking around and even be seriously upgraded but the iPad Air and the default iPad are just too similar in practice. The Air was always meant to be an upsell from what we once considered "the basic iPad", but now the latter does almost anything the former can.

That said, whenever people ask me what IPad they should get for their children or themselves to use casually, I never recommend the Mini. I feel that those edge cases will not be enough to keep it around long-term.